Great Britain 1877 £5 Telegraphs colour trial, SGT18var

Great Britain 1877 £5 Telegraphs colour trial, SGT18var.

A very fine unused imperforate example with original gum printed in gold lettered 'DI', overprinted "SPECIMEN" type 8.

A lovely example without any of the usual heavy vertical creasing as normally seen on these rare colour trials. Almost all the gold colour trials have wrinkles or gum creases in the surface, making this example quite extraordinary.

Gold was the first choice of colour for what ultimately were issued as the famous £5 orange telegraph stamps. Being the highest value stamp ever proposed at the time, gold was considered most fitting for the prestigious £5 value.

Unfortunately, the financial cost of using gold prohibited its use as at that time the only way of achieving a gold colour was through the use of actual gold as there was no satisfactory synthetic gold ink available.

It is only by viewing this stamp in the flesh can you truly appreciate the effectiveness of the gold design. The words TELEGRAPHS ad FIVE POUNDS shine out well against the non-reflective paper surface, as does the intricate design.

Stanley Gibbons specialised catalogue value: £5,000.

• BUY NOW: Order online, by phone +44 (0)1534 639 998, or via email info@paulfrasercollectibles.com